CHINESE GENERATION Z RECONSIDER A HEALTHY RELATIONSHIP WITH APPEARANCE
May, 2021
Cici Yu & Ciel Li
The increasing use of social media in China is catalyzing a rise in what’s being termed appearance anxiety, say users.
Ava Zhang is an international high school student in the United States. She uses Tik Tok.
“I edit every photo, depending on what kind of popular trend that everyone is following on TikTok at that time.”
She says that most of her classmates are addicted to TikTok.
Not only will a normal netizen like Ava be affected by social trends, but influencers also have the same experience. The influencer Fay Jiang explains why social media creates appearance anxiety.
“The more you see it, the more you will feel relatable.”
As a female who has suffered from appearance anxiety, she encourages others to have a healthy relationship with their bodies.
Another influencer on the APP Red, Xueping Wu gives her advice on how to release this kind of anxiety.
“Be comfortable on your own body, and find your true value.”
As more and more people join the discussion. Social media influencers like Wu and Jiang feel they have a responsibility. They want their followers to have a positive attitude about individual appearance.
They say that once people realize what they really want and start pursuing it, they will no longer focus on appearance.
This story was reported by Ciel Li and Cici Yu of the Boston Common News at Emerson College.